Top 20 Baby and Toddler Toys

If every parent would simply accept this as true prior to having their first child and remember it as birthdays and holidays roll around then Toys R Us would be out of business and all parents could afford college! (Not that I'm encouraging Toys R Us to go out of business, just sayin')

Some of these are new to the 21st century while others have withstood the sands of time. And I promise, all of these fabulous "toys" have been tested and approved by these two harsh toy critics....

A box AND a rock. Nice! (see list below)

Mind you, some of these exciting things to play with may drive a parent a bit nutty, though most kid toys do anyway!

1. Empty water bottles. Fun crackling sounds!

2. Or 1/2 full ones. shake, shake, shake, oh so fun.

3. Toilet paper. Nothing like killing extra trees for a fun filled day of streamers around the house.

4. Bags. Try to stay away from the plastic ones!

5. Dirt. Plain old dirt. A shovel makes this more fun.

6. Or Rocks. Make sure you have the pediatrician on speed dial to ensure the occasional one that gets by you is safe for passage.

7. Or Sticks. Better than a BB gun but they can still poke their eyes out! Or the dog will simply mistake it for play time and knock the little one on their ass.

8. Wooden cooking spoons, preferably with an oven range or pot nearby to bang on. Or in our home the metal baby gate supposedly blocking the kitchen.

9. Curtains. Peek-a-boo with curtains apparently is so much better than hands or a blanket which don't run the risk of pulling the whole rod down on their head.

10. Boxes. Very versatile, any size will do. If you have more than one child you might want to have one out for each or let the box war begin!

11. Laundry basket will suffice.

12. Screw driver. Yes, a screw driver. Every kid likes to "help" mommy or daddy fix and build things!

13. Dog bowls. Preferably with water in them. Or food, because I guess I starve my kids to the point that dog food is essential to eat for their survival.

14. Water from ANY source. Fridge water dispensers, hose, pool, baths, doing the dishes, and as previously mentioned, dog bowls.

15. Blankets. Another extremely versatile item for more than just keeping warm. They make fine tents and tunnels too :)

16. Furniture with drawers or doors. Preference if they are full of clothes, DVD's, dishes, magazines or toiletries. Keep those cleaners locked up!

17. Clothing items. Belts, shoes, underwear ...so long as they do not belong to said toddler.

18. Cell phone. While your old one may work for a short time if you keep it charged they are quick to catch on to our little game and ultimately only mommy or daddy's will do. 

19. Same goes for Laptops or i Pads. Leap pad is for the birds!

20. TV remote. No, one without batteries will not do. No, one with batteries not set to work the TV will not do. No, pretend ones are not the same. Your two year old is smarter than you, always remember that!

Now you can go have a fun filled day with you little ones!!!

But first... remind me again why we have all this other stuff?

I'll give the toy company this,
balls, legos, bubbles and crayons are quite popular too! 

Here's a selection of some pictures of my little toy testers in action over the past couple years!